So as you humble for a moment to reflect why you pray, what is your answer? Do you pray….
To put in a request to the Almighty that He may grant or deny
To some how convince God to give you what you desire
A vehicle to usher more power into a otherwise dire situation
As a plea to keep all that is good and keep away all that is bad
As a last course of action when you have exhausted all other possibilities to bring about the change you desire
A way to repeat a truth, turning it over and over, to convince your heart that God is real
To thank God when things go well and to plead with Him when they do not
Why do you pray? What is the result of your prayers?
Do you gain peace, Do you gain perspective, Does it release power into your moment, Do you feel safe, Do they get answered,
Do your prayers make a difference in the outcome of reality already set into motion?
When I think about why I pray, I realize how much prayer has grown in me through the years!
Prayer has grown from pleas of a child,
repeated over and over as if to convince her scared heart that there was a higher power that could keep her safe,
to the most vital of connections pulsing the very blood through her spiritual heart.
Prayers were ushered, in a desperate attempt to get God’s attention long enough to provide
aid to all that did not make sense or causes great grief in life,
and then cycled over and over until time passed long enough that the story was told.
The story was what it was and I needed to know how I fit, who I was and why it mattered that I prayed
…and WHO it was I prayed and were they even trustworthy.
For everyone it is different how they pray and why. I wish for a moment my brain could make sense of the design God has made specific
for His children in a way that will enlighten
and enlarge those who read these simple words that I manage to put to this page.
I am afraid I am failing!!
If you could even know how tired I am,
you would most appreciate that I even made the effort to come to this place,
this day.
""I come because I am SO sure of prayer"",
SO sure of my Father that I want to share with anyone willing.
The design of prayer was the way for a child to KNOW their heavenly Father.
How we relate to God in prayer often reflects how we learned to communicate with our earthly fathers.
For some children when trying to communicate with their father, he was…
distant or absent
preoccupied
sick
controlling
abusive
considered child matters to be unimportant
How does the way we communicated with our earthly fathers differ from our heavenly one?
God’s son is the example to us of how a child is to communicate with his Father.
If you look closely you will find great treasure
and food for your soul in the secrets revealed
through Christ to us when we pray.
Test it. Try it.
Take a moment to see how Christ taught us to pray.
“Our Father in heaven, Relate to Him as your father, Know Him as Father,
Trust Him as father.
hallowed be your name.
Relate to Him as Holy, Know Him as Holy, Trust Him as HOLY.
Your kingdom come, Relate to His Kingdom as it has COME, Know His Kingdom,
Trust in His Kingdom.
your will be done, Relate to His WILL, Know His will, Trust in His will.
on earth as it is in heaven.
Relate to what IS here as it IS in heaven,
Know what IS as it IS in heaven,
Trust in what IS as it IS in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
Be filled with His provision for this day, Know His provision for this day,
Trust His provision is ENOUGH for this day.
and forgive us our debts,
Release your debt, Know your debt,
Trust your debt is paid.
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Forgive others as you have known forgiveness.
And lead us not into temptation,
Be aware and ready for temptation, Know the way out,
Trust His voice to say “Go this way, or that”
but deliver us from evil.
Relate to His Freedom,
KNOW His freedom,
Trust His Freedom!
Relate is to communicate, to give account and/or to be connected by blood
We are connected by the blood of Christ and are able to communicate directly to the Father.
His Spirit then speaks to our spirit Words of life.
Words about who He is.
Words about who we are.
Words about His kingdom.
Words about His plan for you.
Are you connected?
Are you listening?
Most don’t even pause long enough to listen.
We are trained by our earthly example and are distracted, distant,
controlling or listening to someone else instead.
In order to experience the POWER of prayer
"we must submit to His design".
Why Pray?? why NOT to Pray ?
[ 09-07-2014, 02:24 PM: Message edited by: Lymetoo ]
Posted by Pocono Lyme (Member # 5939) on :
Posted by Pocono Lyme (Member # 5939) on :
That's a lot to think about Payne. Thank you. A lot of thought went into what you posted. Posted by Pocono Lyme (Member # 5939) on :
"This thing is from me" (1 Kings 12:24).
My child, I have a message for you today; let me whisper it in your ear, that it may gild with glory any storm clouds which may arise, and smooth the rough places upon which you may have to tread.
It is short, only five words, but let them sink into your inmost soul; use them as a pillow upon which to rest your weary head. This thing is from Me.
Have you ever thought of it, that all that concerns you concerns Me too? For, "he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye" (Zech. 2:8).
You are very precious in My sight. (Isa. 43:4) Therefore, it is My special delight to educate you.
I would have you learn when temptations assail you, and the "enemy comes in like a flood," that this thing is from Me, that your weakness needs My might, and your safety lies in letting Me fight for you.
Are you in difficult circumstances, surrounded by people who do not understand you, who never consult your taste, who put you in the background?
This thing is from Me. I am the God of circumstances. Thou camest not to thy place by accident, it is the very place God meant for thee.
Have you not asked to be made humble? See then, I have placed you in the very school where this lesson is taught; your surroundings and companions are only working out My will.
Are you in money difficulties? Is it hard to make both ends meet? This thing is from Me, for I am your purse-bearer and would have you draw from and depend upon Me.
My supplies are limitless (Phil.4:19). I would have you prove my promises. Let it not be said of you, "In this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God" (Deut. 1:32).
Are you passing through a night of sorrow? This thing is from Me. I am the Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief. I have let earthly comforters fail you, that by turning to Me you may obtain everlasting consolation (2 Thess. 2:16, 17).
Have you longed to do some great work for Me and instead have been laid aside on a bed of pain and weakness? This thing is from Me. I could not get your attention in your busy days and I want to teach you some of my deepest lessons.
"They also serve who only stand and wait." Some of My greatest workers are those shut out from active service, that they may learn to wield the weapon of all--prayer.
This day I place in your hand this pot of holy oil. Make use of it free, my child. Let every circumstance that arises, every word that pains you, every interruption that would make you impatient, every revelation of your weakness be anointed with it. The sting will go as you learn to see Me in all things. --Laura A. Barter Snow
Posted by payne (Member # 26248) on :
Dr. Jeremiah is doing a series close to his heart and it really is helpful to us too. He took notes and shares his cancer experiences.
I'm not sure how long the series is but I'm listening and gaining insight and comfort. I am so grateful for all of you here.
Posted by Pocono Lyme (Member # 5939) on :
Posted by TxCoord (Member # 9204) on :
A mentor of mine told some of that too often we humans consider prayer to be what we use to convince/persuade God to do something He doesn't want to do.
Instead, we should find out the will of God (which means meditating on His Word) and then pray in alignment with what He wants!
I am reminded of a song we used to sing in my college group "Never Ending Shopping List"
"Give me this, I want that, bless me Lord I pray. Grant me what I think I need to make it through the day.
Make me wealthy,keep me healthy,fill in what I missed, on my never ending shopping list!" (from Larry Bryant http://www.larrybryant.com/shopping_list.html) Posted by Dekrator48 (Member # 18239) on :
I'm reading and appreciating all my God Thought friends!
Love and prayers!!
Posted by soccermama (Member # 35101) on :
Jesus said that our Father already knows what we have need of but we are to ask that our joy may be full.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I like that, soccermama! Posted by Pocono Lyme (Member # 5939) on :
There is no circumstance, no trouble, no testing, that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment. Alan Redpath
James 1:3New King James Version (NKJV)
TxCoord The link didn't work. I found this. Thank you. I never heard that before. So true. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNpmkuy0c7M 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
“When GOD wants to do an impossible task He takes an impossible man and crushes him.” ― Alan Redpath
Posted by Pocono Lyme (Member # 5939) on :
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